We won’t ask for multiple submissions in different categories. One submission is valid for all the awards, and with a reasonable price. So, you do not need to pay more than one fee. By submitting to Short Encounters IFF, filmmakers will be submitting for consideration across all of the festival’s competition categories for awards/nominations with ONE submission fee.
Our main competition is divided into two budget groupings. No/Low Budget Short Film & Short Film. As stated above, regardless of the budget groupings, all films competing enter the main competition and all other categories’ awards. BUT only No/Low Budget projects are eligible for the Short Encounters Award, as described in the “WHO WE ARE” section.
We do not provide individual feedback on every entry we get, unless you opt for a critical review, nor justify/explain ourselves for not selecting your work. No inquiries or arguments will be entertained regarding non-selected films. If you opt for a critical review one of our team’s professionals will provide one in due time (no more than 7 to 10 days, depending on the workload).
Selection Process
The selection process takes place in three stages.
During the first stage, our knowledgeable group of more than twenty five screeners, along with the festival director and artistic director, will choose the films that meet the minimum requirements, according to the festival’s standards, to go onto the second stage and to the selection committee. The selection committee, constituted by qualified guest jurors along with a second, smaller group of screeners, will judge the entries and decide on the Official Selections.
At this stage, the final decision will be taken by the selection committee, which in turn will present the results to the final judging team and on to the last stage.
The judging panel is independent of the selection committee, making their voting entirely independent of one another and deciding for the nominees and eventually the award winners of the bimonthly round.
IMPORTANT NOTE: We don’t screen the films online! The members of the jury watch the films online privately.
The Official Selections are automatically qualified to compete at the annual festival and be screened live during the annual event.
All Official Selections will be optional for promotional purposes to send an Electronic Press Kit (EPK) to info@shortencountersiff.com including:
- at least one still photo from the film (in .jpg or .tif format at 300 dpi)
- a synopsis of the film in English
- a brief biography of the director in English
- director’s photograph (in .jpg or .tif format at 300 dpi)
- film official poster HQ
- film credits